SINDHULI: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal expressed her confidence that the Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project would help fulfill the country’s dream of prosperity.

Talking to the media persons following the inspection of the under-construction national pride project in Sindhuli district today, Minister Bhusal viewed that the Project would boost production of food items upon its completion.

At present, the government has allocated Rs 2.70 billion for the Project that is expected to provide irrigation facility to around 122,000 hectare of land in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat and Bara districts. The project is also expected to generate 31.7 MW electricity.

Minister Bhusal said, “In Nepal, the import of food items stands at around Rs 350 billion. If the food production is boosted in the country, it would help retain Nepal’s currency in the country. The currency would remain with the farmers here.”

She believed that once the project is completed, it would help create jobs in local level and save the foreign-bound currencies thereby bringing about positive changes in the lives of people.

The Energy Minister claimed that the Project would be fruitful to bolster agriculture production by optimizing irrigation infrastructures of Bagmati Province for the greater good of Madhesh Province.

The Project aims to divert 67 cubic metres of water per second from the Sunkoshi River to Marin River at Kusumtar of Kamalamai Municipality-2 in Sindhuli.

Similarly, Project chief Mitra Baral informed that a 13.3-kilometre tunnel would be dug within coming 22 months under the Project that would be used to channel the water from the Sunkoshi River to Marin River.

Minister Bhusal was accompanied by secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Sagar Kumar Rai, joint-secretary Baburam Bhandari, Director General at the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation, Susheel Chandra Acharya, among others.

Foundation stone for the multipurpose project was laid on March 4, 2021.